A Place to Call Home
by RubinAmigo
Summary: After Crowley leaves Gavin on his own in the new time, Gavin has to find a place to stay and figure out what to do with his new life. He finds help in a woman living in the woods and they help each other out. When strange things happen around the cabin Gavin knows who to ask for help. But when they figure out what is going on, it's not quite what they expected. Set after 9x21


So, I felt like I needed to give Gavin some sort of story. I felt bad for him being left in the middle of nowhere, all by himself, in a world he knows nothing about. This story is my version of what could have happened after Crowley left. I hope you enjoy this :)

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><p>"Dad, wait," Gavin called out a little too late. Crowley had already disappeared again after leaving the young man in the middle of nowhere. "Well, great. What am I supposed to do now?" he muttered forlornly.<p>

He turned around on the spot and surveyed the meadow he was standing on. It looked like his father had left him in some kind of park or wooded area and he had no idea where he was. There were no people around he could ask for help or directions and since he didn't want to still be standing in the same spot by nightfall he just picked a direction and started walking. He needed to find some kind of shelter, where he could figure out what to do with this new life he'd been given.

He kept on walking for a while, the trees became bigger and thicker, and the trail he was on was getting narrower by the minute. Apparently he was walking deeper into a forest. Just as he was about to turn around he heard something that made him stop. It sounded like someone was struggling with something heavy.

He followed the trail a little further into the woods until he saw a little cabin behind the next bend. He also saw an old woman in front of the cabin, struggling with some heavy logs of firewood. They were clearly too heavy for her, so Gavin hurried to her side.

"Can I help you with that, mam?" he asked politely.

"That would be very kind, Alfie," the woman replied.

"My name is Gavin, not Alfie," he carefully corrected her as he picked up the logs and waited for her to lead the way.

"Of course it is, dear. Excuse an old woman. I get confused sometimes." She walked up the steps to her front door and opened it to let him inside. Gavin went inside and put the wood down next to the fireplace. Then he chose some nice, dry logs and some kindling and started a fire for the old lady.

"Thank you so much, dear. Is there anything I can do for you? Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"No mam, I haven't. Something to eat would be wonderful. I've been walking all day and I can hardly remember the last time I had something to eat," Gavin answered and the woman smiled and led him to a small table where he sat down.

"What are you doing out here anyway? Are you part of some kind of historic reenactment? My name is Maria, by the way." She was stirring a pot of soup while she talked to him.

"What is a reenactment?" Gavin asked.

"Never mind, I just wondered because of your clothes."

"Is there something wrong with my clothes?" Gavin sounded unsure now.

"No, dear. They are just a little old-fashioned. But don't worry. I will find you something to wear from Alfie's things. He used to stay here with me, you know, and help my out around the house."

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know. One day he left for work, he worked at the Wiener Hut in the city, and he just didn't come back. I reported him missing, of course, but the police never found a trace of him. I've been alone ever since but I'm still hoping he will return one day. It gets very lonely out here."

There was a moment of silence between them and the only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the soft bubbling of the soup on the stove. Suddenly the front door swung open and slammed shut again. Gavin jumped up to see what was going on but there was no one there. So he simply made sure the door was shut tightly and returned to the table just as Maria served the soup.

"Don't worry about it. Happens all the time. It's an old house," Maria told him.

Gavin shrugged. It didn't seem normal to him but he didn't want to argue with the nice old lady, so he started eating his soup.

"This is delicious." Maria smiled at the compliment. "I'm very sorry for your loss, by the way. For Alfie. I hope you'll find him."

"Thank you. I hope so, too. Now, tell me, what were you doing out there in the woods?"

"I...I guess I'm lost. It is a long and complicated story but I don't really have anywhere else to go. I have no idea what to do now."

"Well, if you want, you can stay here for now. I have a spare room and I could use some help around this place and having some company would be nice. It gets lonely out here, all by myself," Maria offered and Gavin stared at her with wide eyes.

"That is very kind of you, thank you."

Maria smiled and put her hand on his and squeezed it once, before she got up and cleared the table. He quickly helped her do the dishes and then she showed him the rest of the cabin and the room where he could stay.

Later that day, Maria switched on the TV to watch the news. Gavin heard the voices and thought they had visitors but when he walked into the living room he only saw Maria. He was confused, because he could still hear the voices and after a moment he realized they were coming from a small box in the corner of the room. The box had a window and he could see very small people inside.

"What witchcraft is this? Why did you lock those people in that box?" Gavin asked, sounding horrified. Immediately he crouched down next to the TV, crawled all the way around, trying to figure out how to get those people out.

"Relax, Gavin. It's not witchcraft. It's called television. Those people are not really inside that box," Maria said and then explained the whole concept to Gavin as well as she could. It took her a while to convince him but eventually he stopped looking for a way to open the TV and tried the remote controll himself. He quite enjoyed changing the channels after a while, even though he still jumped everytime a new person appeared on the screen.

Maria couldn't quite understand how it was possible for a young man to not know anything about the world they lived in but Gavin couldn't really explain it. So when Maria assumed that he had been part of some kind of cult that lived deep inside the woods, away from civilization, he hadn't corrected her.

They quickly found a comfortable routine. Gavin helped Maria wherever he could and in return she taught him what she could about the modern world. Since he really enjoyed reading, Maria gave him several history books and magazines she owned.

For the next few weeks they got to know each other better. Gavin learned a lot about what the world was like nowadays and he helped Maria out around the cabin by fixing things, chopping wood and moving heavy objects around. It was a good arrangement for both of them.

Eventually Maria decided it was time for Gavin to learn more about civilization than he could from books or TV, so she took him on a little trip into the city. He was fascinated by the things he saw. He'd had a small glimpse on the day he'd been taken from his own time but since then he had only seen cities and cars, like carriages just without the horses, Maria had explained, and so many people in one place, on TV.

He was so engrossed in everything that he saw, that he almost got hit by a car when he crossed the street. He was completely surprised by their speed. They were so much faster than the horse carriages he was used to. Luckily Maria was paying attention and managed to pull him back and off the street just in time. After that he was a lot more careful and paid close attention to the cars.

Originally Maria had intended to take the trip to return Alfie's old, spare uniforms. He'd had a job at the Wiener Hut. But when they walked into the store the manager told Gavin that they were short on staff and if he wanted he could get a job there, since he already had the uniforms.

Apart from the new job and his now regular trips into the city, things stayed normal around the cabin. Gavin still learned something new every day and there were always things, big and small, that would surprise and astound him. But he got used to this new world and he found that he really liked it.

Every now and then strange things would happen around the cabin, that disrupted their otherwise quiet lifestyle. Doors and windows would open or close without there even being a draft or pictures would be falling off the wall. Maria explained those things with the age of the cabin but Gavin didn't quite believe that, although he couldn't offer a better explanation.

Of course, the worsening problems with the lights could be blamed on old and therefore faulty wiring. But small objects, like keys, wallets or glasses, disappearing and reappearing in odd places, could not be explained away so easily, even by Maria. She just decided to ignore the problem.

But when she actually got an electric shock while changing a light bulb, Gavin decided it was enough. "Maria, something is not right in this house. We cannot ignore it any longer. You almost got hurt today. We have to do something about this."

"But what are we going to do, Gavin? Do you even know what the problem is? Because I don't."

"Is that why you blame everything on the age of this place?" Gavin asked, wondering if Maria's stubbornness stemmed from fear of what she couldn't explain.

"It is the only rational explanation."

"But it doesn't explain everything. The people where I grew up would say there is an evil spirit at work here."

"There's no such thing as..."

"Evil spirits?" Gavin interrupted Maria's protest. "That's what this world we live in makes you think. But as long as you can't offer a better explanation, I believe this place is haunted."

"And what do you think we should do about that?"

"I don't know," Gavin told her slowly, even though an idea was already forming in his mind. But he didn't know if it would even be possible. "Isn't there anything in all those books of yours?" he asked instead.

"You can have a look if you like. There are some very old, very strange books here, that have been in my family for generations. It's quite possible there's something about spirits in there," Maria told Gavin and showed him a section of very old, very dusty books. "Just be careful when you open them. They might crumble into dust at your touch."

Gavin carefully dusted off the interesting books and selected a stack for him to read. There were some chapters about ghosts and spirits but nothing helpful as far as Gavin could see. But he found something else that he thought could be useful. He found a summoning ritual. A summoning ritual for demons. Maybe his father could help with this little problem. He was the King of Hell after all.

He didn't expect the ritual to make it possible for him to actually summon his father. But any demon that could get a message to the king would do. So by nightfall, when Maria had gone to bed, Gavin sneaked out, to find the closest crossroads and summon a demon.

"Hello, darling," the demon, a beautiful young woman with red eyes, purred. "What is it that you need?"

"I need you to get a message to your King," Gavin told her straight away.

The demon seemed confused at first but she quickly regained her composure. "And what makes you think the King will be interested in your message?"

"Call it family business. Just give it to him. Trust me, he will be interested," Gavin said and held out a sealed envelope for her to take.

"And what's in it for me?"

"My gratitude."

"That's not enough for me, love."

"Well, it's all you're going to get. So take it or leave it." Gavin counted on the demon's curiosity and he was not disappointed.

"Fine. I'll deliver your message. This one time only."

She grabbed the envelope from Gavin and disappeared. Satisfied with his work, Gavin left the crossroads and returned to the cabin. Now, all he had to do was wait.

As it turned out he didn't have to wait very long. "Hello, son," Crowley growled, waking up Gavin who had just fallen asleep.

"Father. You came. It actually worked."

"Yes, it did. Now would you mind telling me why I'm here, after telling you we could never see each other again?"

"It's good to see you, too, father."

"Gavin. Look, I'm glad you seem to be doing okay," Crowley started but Gavin cut him off.

"After you left me stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"I knew you'd be fine. After all, you're my son. But I'm very busy, being the King of Hell and all. It's a demanding position. So tell me why you need me."

"This place, it belongs to a very nice old lady. She took me in when I was lost in the woods. She lets me stay here and I help her out where ever I can."

"That is sickeningly nice of you. But go on," Crowley commented.

"Well, there are odd things happening around this place. Things, that cannot be explained rationally. I think there is an evil spirit at work here. Nothing really dangerous has happened yet but I'm afraid it will. Things have been getting worse."

"A spirit? Why do you call me then? I'm not a ghost hunter."

"I know that. But you're the only one I could think of, who might be able to help me."

"So you call the King of all demons."

"I called my father."

"True. Anyway, like I said, I'm busy. But I know someone who will be able to solve your little problem for you. Take care, Gavin. And don't ever call me again. I meant what I said, last time."

Crowley left and for several days nothing happened, except for the regular spirit activity, which they had almost gotten used to by now. But one day, when Gavin returned from his job in the city, he found two men in front of the house. They were arguing loudly.

"What are we even doing here, Dean? We're not working for Crowley. Again," the taller man said, sounding aggravated.

"Which is why I didn't tell you it was Crowley who told me about this job. Anyway, we're not helping him, we're helping his son."

"Who should have been sent back to his own time, long ago. But that's not going to happen, is it?"

"Look, a couple of months ago I would have been right there with you, Sam. But nothing has happened, nothing has changed. Crowley was very careful to make sure there wouldn't be any ripple effects. This is his son, Sam. His family. I really don't think we should mess with that, unless we have absolutely no other choice."

"So, what, you're best buddies with the King of Hell now?"

"Of course not. But after everything that happened, it may be better to stick with the devil we know. Remember Abbadon? Who knows what comes next. A kind of – understanding – with the King of Hell might not be such a bad thing. And anyway, apart from Crowley's son there's an innocent person in danger here as well. And that's what we do, isn't it? Saving people?"

The two men stared at each other for a moment, continuing their argument without words.

Finally the taller one, Sam, nodded. "Alright, but under one condition. If there is any hint that his being here causes a problem, any hint at all, we will send him back."

Dean nodded in agreement. Gavin decided that this was a good moment to approach the two men.

"Hello. You're the Winchesters, aren't you? My father sent you here?"

"Yes, and you're Gavin, right? You have a spirit problem?" Sam asked him, all business, pretending the little argument with his brother hadn't happened.

"Yes, I think so. Let's go inside and I will tell you all about it." Gavin led the way and the Winchesters followed him inside, where they all met a very surprised Maria. But Gavin quickly explained that the two men were there to help with their problem and this was enough to calm the old woman.

While Maria busied herself with making coffee and being a good host, Gavin told the brothers about everything that had happened during the past weeks.

"Hmm, could be a spirit, though it doesn't sound all that evil or vengeful to me," Dean thought out loud.

"Yes, I agree. It might just be trying to get your attention. But it could also be practicing for something big and bad. It's impossible to tell," Sam added.

Before they had a chance to discuss the matter any further, there was a scream from the bathroom, where Maria had disappeared to, just a few moments earlier. At once all three men jumped up and ran to the bathroom, shoving the door open. The Winchesters had also drawn their guns, just in case.

Inside, Maria was leaning against the wall, staring at the mirror in shock. Gavin went to her and hugged her. The Winchester brothers though focused their attention on the mirror, which had fogged over. And someone had written the word 'help' across it.

"I really don't think that this spirit is evil. But there is only one sure way to find out. We have to summon this thing and talk to it."

"But it could also be dangerous. If it is an evil spirit after all, we're giving it more power when we summon it," Sam added.

Gavin thought about this for moment and exchanged looks with Maria. "We'll do it," he finally decided. "We need to know what's going on here."

"Alright. We'll prepare everything and have us a little séance tonight," Dean said before he and Sam got up to collect all the things they would need for this.

A couple of hours later they were ready and all sat down around the table. Sam led the ritual and it was clearly not the first time he did this. It took a few minutes but then something changed in the room. A shape shimmered into existence next to where the group was seated and as time passed the shape became more solid, more defined. Then Sam stopped his incantation and they all looked at the ghost that had manifested.

Maria stared at it for a long time and the ghost just stared back.

"Alfie?" she finally asked the spirit, her voice almost breaking.

"Grandma? You can see me?" The ghost answered in surprise. "I've been trying to get through to you for months."

"Alfie? Weren't you that angel kid that got offed...umpf," Dean started but was quickly shut up by Sam elbowing him in the stomach.

'Dean,' Sam mouthed with an exasperated face.

"Oh, sorry," Dean mumbled. He mouthed 'ow' back at Sam and rubbed his aching tummy.

"It's okay. My gran deserves to know what happened to me," Alfie interjected and told his gran and the rest of them his story. He started with Samandriel getting in contact with him and ended with Castiel killing the angel and thereby also the vessel, Alfie, and taking the broken body up to heaven with him.

"Angels? What do you mean, an angel killed you?" Maria asked, looking very confused. She seemed to think she was going crazy since she was talking to a ghost about murderous angels.

"I'm sorry, gran. I know this is a lot to take in. But it is all real, believe me. You're not crazy," the ghost said.

Maria looked around at the other mens' faces. They all looked perfectly at ease with this. Either they were all going crazy or she was actually talking to her grandson's ghost. For the time being she decided to believe the second option, just because she really wanted to belief Alfie was really there with her again. And if this was her going crazy after all, it wasn't the worst thing she could imagine either.

"Oh, my dear Alfie," Maria finally said with sadness in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, gran," the ghost gently told her. "I never believed the voice I was hearing was an actual angel. I thought I was going mad and had to find out the truth. I'm the one who is sorry for leaving you without even a note."

"Well, now I know," Maria answered, fighting hard to keep her composure. "Are you – are you in pain?"

"No, I never felt anything, no matter what happened to my body. Samandriel took all the pain. And when we died, it felt so peaceful, kind of like an out-of-body experience. Well, actually that's exactly what it is, I guess. Anyway, it's not bad. I was just worried about you, gran. I wanted to make sure you would be fine but I couldn't really reach you, until now. Thank you for that." The last part was directed at the Winchesters.

"Have you been around here this whole time?" Sam carefully asked the ghost. "Have you never tried to move on?"

"After I died, I immediately came here to look after grandma. And since I wasn't able to actually make contact until today, I have never tried to 'go into the light'," Alfie answered.

"I hope you made yourself comfortable here," Dean said, earning another one of Sam's bitch-faces looking back at him.

"What Dean is trying to say," Sam started to explain, "is that the way back into heaven is blocked for the time being. You are trapped here until the angels find a way to open the gates again. So, if you've made yourself comfortable here, that is a good thing because you will have to stay here for now."

"Oh, well, that's okay, I guess," Alfie answered a little uncertain. "It's not so bad being around this place. I was just worried about gran and I couldn't talk to her. But now that I know she is okay, and she has someone to help her, I'll be fine."

Alfie's ghost floated through the table to stand right in front of Gavin who leaned back as the ghost closed in. "She will be okay, won't she? You will look after her, and help her out?"

"Of – of course I will. It's what I've been doing since I got here," Gavin replied, a little intimidated by the ghost's intensity.

"He is Heaven-sent," Maria said, smiling fondly at Gavin.

Gavin and the Winchesters exchanged a look but they all decided not to tell Maria that it was actually quite the opposite of what she thought.

"Good. In that case, you will need something. Follow me." Alfie quickly crossed the room and waited patiently in front of a cupboard for Gavin to join him.

"Open it. On the top shelf, all the way in the back you will find what you need," the ghost told the young man, while everybody else was watching them in silence.

Gavin stood on tiptoes and just managed to reach the objects in the back of the cupboard. His fingers closed around something metallic and he returned to the table where he opened his hand and let the objects drop onto the hard surface. Two plain silver rings lay in the middle of the table and everyone stared at them.

"What are these?" Gavin and Maria asked at once, looking back and forth between the Winchesters and Alfie. The Winchesters shrugged, they had no idea.

"They are protection rings. Put them on," Alfie encouraged Maria and Gavin who hesitated but complied. As soon as they slipped on the rings, some kind of writing appeared on them, which neither of the two could decipher.

"Looks like enochian," Sam said after examining the writing. "Alfie, where did you get those rings?"

"Samandriel left them here. I said 'yes' to him on one condition. I told him he had to promise my gran would be okay and taken care of. So he left these rings here for my return, to provide protection from evil for the wearers."

"That sounds legit," Sam told the group after thinking about it for a while. This is probably an enochian protection spell, etched into the ring that is only activated when someone wears the ring. We could always call Cas and ask him about it?"

"No! I don't want him here. He killed us," Alfie said firmly and everyone else quickly agreed that it would be a bad idea to invite Cas.

"Well, I think we can be pretty sure these things actually are some kind of angelic protection, so I see nothing to worry about and there is no job here for us," Dean said and Sam agreed.

"Yeah, we should get going. Take care," Sam added and the Winchesters got up and left.

"Gavin, I'm glad you are here to help gran. Take good care of her. And remember that as long as the gates of heaven are closed I will be around," Alfie told the young man earnestly, as soon as the door closed behind the hunters.

"I promise, I will," Gavin replied and Alfie, satisfied with this answer, vanished into thin air.

Gavin looked around at Maria who had a peaceful look about her, now that she knew what had happened to her grandson and that he was always around, even though she couldn't always see him or talk to him. The two of them joined hands, the ones with the protection rings, and smiled. They would be fine. They had angelic protection and a ghost to watch over them. And as Gavin went to bed that night, he felt like he had finally found a place where he belonged. A place he could call home.


End file.
